Merkava Marks 33 Years In Service

The Merkava considered to be one of the best tanks in the world is celebrating 33 years in Service with the Israeli Defense Force. The IDF in 1960 began planning for the Merkava but had to abandon it due to political reasons in the country. It wasn’t until 1974 that the the first designs and prototypes were ready and another four years before the IDF began to train its forces in the new tank. After its first war against Lebanon in 1982, many necessary changes and improvements were made, a variant called the Merkava MK-II was released in 1983. The new Merkava MK-II was optimized for urban warfare and low intensity-warfare and included many updates to the armor, the sensors and to the firing-system. Then came the Merkava MK-III in 1989, its upgrades featured better armor, a modern electronics system and a bigger engine to supply the Merkava MK-III with 1200 horsepower. The Merkava MK-III underwent several generations of upgrades adding more and more features to this great tank. Many of the features that were added over time were actually prototypes that would later be used in the latest model of the Merkava family – the Merkava MK-IV. In 2004, the Merkava MK-IV was introduced with an upgraded fire control system with the ability to defend against attack helicopters, a digital battlefield management system and an unprecedented suspension and track system that allow it to move in even the harshest terrains that would force any other tank to its knees. In 2005, the IDF achieved its initial goal to have an armored corps entirely composed of Merkava battle tanks. The Merkava main battle tank proved its outstanding abilities in countless missions and battles and claimed its rightful place among the best tanks of the world.